Slab finishing and curb building machine



1965 B. L. LARSEN ETAL 3,202,068

SLAB FINISHING AND CURB BUILDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 M 9 ATTORNEYS 1965 B., L. LARSEN ETAL 3,202,068

VSLAB FINISHING AND CURB BUILDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.21, 1962 I NVENTOR. Barfilam Lle jen BYBernardJILarsen ATTORNEYS3,202,068 SLAB FINISHING AND CURB BUILDING MACHINE Burnham L. Larsen andBernard J. Larsen, Cedar Falls,

Iowa, assignors to Curbmaster of America, Inc, Cedar Falls, Iowa, acorporation of Iowa Filed Dec. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 246,583 1 Claim. (Cl.94-46) This invention relates to apparatus for building curb, orcurb-gutter and widening, and also to apparatus which can finish slabsimultaneously therewith.

In accordance with the present invention, curb can be built on one orboth sides of concrete slab, and in one embodiment of the invention, canbe finished simultaneously in an especially eificient manner.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anintegral curb builder which can be converted to a curb and gutter orfinishing machine, in one embodiment thereof, and which aliords electricpower drive to all four wheels thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as describedwhich can be controlled for operation from either side of the machine,if desired, and is characterized by a strong tubular constructionadjustable to any width.

Another object of the invention is to provide a four wheel drive machineas described having rubber wheels with steel flanges for maximumtraction, with the wheels being easily converted to non-flange rubberwheels for running on adjacent slabs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as describedwhich will feed the correct amount of concrete to the curb mule,enabling it to leave a smoothfinished curb with even, straight lines sothat no hand spading or mechanical tamping is necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device and apparatus forfinishing slab and forming curb which is light-weight, strong, durable,readily adjustable and easily operable with smooth steady power, andreversible by control switch means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine as describedwhich, in another embodiment thereof, finishes flat slabs or buildscurbs integrally while finishing slab, if desired;

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which can buildcurb to any desired height or design and wherein the curb design can bechanged in minutes.

Another object is to provide a device as described which travels onregular curb and gutter forms and in combination with the curb buildingmeans is capable of finishing with a variable speed vibrating screedadjustable to any crown.

Another object is to provide a troweling pan for finish ing which isadjustable to any crown.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as describedwhich can be used on steep grades with twin winches built in foradditional pull, so that the curb building and finishing operation canbe used in a broad range of situations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds in accordance with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a curb building and slab finishingmachine according to the present invent on;

:FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a curb building machine according tothe present invention but which is not utilized in combination withslabfinishing means;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic representation of curb and gutter andcurb-gutter and widening cross-section which can be made by screeds andcurb mules which can be utilized with the present invention; and gFIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of asupport structure of theinvention for supporting the screed.

Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGURE 1 in particular, a slabfinisher and integral curb building machine 10 is shown in accordancewith the present invention which includes a pair of power units 11 and12 each provided with a pair of traction wheels 13. The wheels areadapted to run on forms providing rails 14 and 15, with the rails beingadjustable by support brackets 16 for engagement with adjustable.support elements (not shown). i

In accordance with the present embodiment, front and rear screeds 17 and18 are connected between the individual power units 11 and 12 byhydraulically or otherwise adjustable support means 19 on supportstructures 20 which may be widened as desired. The support structures 20may include longitudinally extendingpairs of tubular members 23 and 24mounted in supportmembers 25 provided for journalling the wheels, ashereinafter described, and the longitudinal tubular members 23 and 24thus extend through the support members 25 on their respective sidescorresponding to the power units l l and 12 and are locked in theirrespective support members 25 by means of a set screw 23a or the likefastener. The longitudinal tubular members 23 and 24 are interconnectedby lateral or transverse tubular frame members 26 and 27, each of whichis fixedly connected at opposite ends to the tubular members 23 and 24,and the individual supports 20 on their respective sides areinterconnected by adjustable front and rear lateral tubular members 28and 29 each including a relatively somewhat larger vtubular portion 30and a smaller telescoping tubular portion 31, with adjustment bolts 32being provided for the purpose. Each of the support means 19 comprises ashaft 19a fixedly connected at its lower end to a corresponding screed,and telescopically vertically adjustably received within a verticaltubular sleeve 1% fixedly connected to a longitudinal support bar 21 bymeans of, for example, a welded connection. A stop means ltQc which, inthe illustrated embodiment, comprises a threaded nut, is carried on theshaft 19a above the sleeve 1% to limit the downward travel or positionof the shaft 19a with respect to the sleeve 1% and therefore to limitthe lowermost position of the screed. The support bars 21 are connectedin fixed assembly to a pair of sleeves 26a and 27a which are slidablymounted, respectively, on the transverse tubular frame members 26 and27. Members 26 and 27 provide a horizontal guide track for the supportmeans 19 to enable the power units 11 and 12 to be moved away from eachother. to widen the machine while providing support for the fixedlengthscreeds 17 and 18. It will thus be appreciated that each of the supportstructures 20 on each side of supported by and fixedly connected to theother tubular Patented Aug. 24, .1965.

3 member 23 by means of a pair of transverse frame members 26 and 27.The tubular members 23 are held against rotation in the sockets 25b ofthe support members 25 by means of the set screws 23a which extendthrough collars 25a mounted on their respective support member 25. Inthe event that the width of the machine 10 is changed the support means19, which support the fixed-length screeds, are adjustably laterallyslidable on the transverse tubular frame members 26 and 27 toaccommodate such change in machine width. It will thus be :seen thatwidening to any desired extent is afforded. In order to affordadjustment of the crown of the screeds, individual bolts 33a may bebolted to the screed and to opposite sides of plates 33 of atransversely extending bar 34 on the screeds by means of nuts 35, withsuitable connections 36 being provided between the bar 34 and thesupports 19 as shown.

In accordance with the invention, a curb mule or molding structure 37may be formed integrally with the screed by means of a channel shapedconnection 38 on the adjacent end of the screed and with the flange 22forming a part thereof. Thereby, a combined curb building and slabfinishing machine is afforded which makes possible a uniquely'eflicientoperation. The curb mule structure 37 may also have a flange 39 carryinga roller 40 engaging the rail 14 and the track position 14a thereof andmay otherwise be supported as by a shaft 41 on a cross shaft 42. Thewheels 13 may be journalled on a shaft such as the shaft 42 and arepowered by the motors 40a through suitable chain and sprocket means (notshown) guarded by a shield 43 on each side of the power units 11 and 12.

An electric generator 44 is mounted on a platform 45 between thetransverse frame members 28 and 29 and the relatively larger portionsthereof, as supported on hooked frame tubes 46, to provide power for themotors 49a.

Also, -a seat 46a is provided adjacent a lever 47 so that the device maybe readily controlled, as hereinafter described, a corresponding lever48 being afforded on the opposite side so that the machine can becontrolled from either side. The wheels 13 and the chain and sprocketmeans for the wheels may be driven from a gear box'structure bassociated with the motors 49a. Anelectric vibrator power unit andassociated means 49a for the flexible elongattd vibrator element 49 maybe suspended from the cross tube structure 29 as shown, and turn buckleand support connections 51 may be extended between the support flange 52on the tubular frame member 29, and the screed structure.

Further to facilitate operation of the device on steep grades or thelike, a pair of winches 54 may be mounted in the respective forwardsupports 25.

In order to afford feeding of the concrete to the curb mold 37, a hopper55 is mounted on the adjacent forward support structure 20, and avibrator 56 is provided therefore in accordance with the understandingwith those skilled in the art.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that a wide variety of shapesfor curb and/or gutter may be formed in accordance with the presentinvention, with finishing being accomplished simultaneously by thescreeds 17 and 18. Thus, curb and gutter, or curb-gutter and wideningforms may be provided as desired and the curb design may be changed in amanner of minutes.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, another embodiment of the invention is shownwhich is substantially similar to the embodiment of FIGURE 1 but doesnot utilize the screed means therein provided, and is otherwise somewhatsimplified structurally with respect thereto. Thus, a machine 10a isshown having left and right-hand power units 11a and 12a with wheels 13abeing journalled in supports 25a for rubber traction engagement withforms providing rails as described as indicated at 14a. The

oppositely registered supports 25a are interconnected by transversetubular members 28a and 29a having individual telescoping sections 3%and 31a for widening adjustment as desired. Motors 490 are mounted oneach side of the device as energized by a generator 44a mounted on aplatform 45a which assists in interconnecting the frame portions 28a and29a. Thus, flanges 46b are provided on the platform at each end thereofto hook over the tubular portions 23a and 29a respectively. Again,control from each side is provided by levers 47a and 43a and the motorsmay energize the wheels 13a through gear box means 44M and throughsprocket and chain means (not shown) guarded by guards 43a.

In accordance with the invention, a curb mold or mule 37a is mounted onone or both sides 11a and 12a as by means of vertical supports 41a whichmay be secured to the transverse supports 28a and 29a or otherwisemounted in association with the supports 25a for ready removal andchanging thereof. A hopper a is similarly provided to supply concrete tothe form 37a or mold, and a vibrator 56a is utilized in conjunctiontherewith as understood by those skilled in the art. Thus, a veryefficient and easy to operate device is provided which can form a widevariety of shapes as suggested by the shapes shown in FIGURE 3, andwhich can be changed in a very small time as needed.

The curb builder, either in conjunction with the slab finisher or initself, can thus be used in an extremely wide range of applications andso as to meet different requirements with minimal expense anddifficulty. Thus, a flexible apparatus has been provided which isuniquely adapted for economical slab and curb construction, particularlywhere the curb and slab are to be formed integrally, and the slab is tobe finished simultaneously with the curb.

Although we have herein set forth and described our invention withrespect to certain specific principles and details thereof, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that these may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in thehereunto appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A curb molding and slab finishing machine comprising,

a pair of power units,

wheels on each of said power units for engaging rail providing concreteforms or the like,

an electric motor on each of said power units for driving the wheelsthereof,

a pair of transverse tubular support members interconnecting said powerunits each comprising an elongated inner tube fixedly connected to oneof said power units and an elongated outer tube fixedly connected to theother of said power units and receiving in telescopic relation saidinner tube whereby the width between said power units can be adjusted,

a platform carried by said power units having an electric generatormounted thereon for driving said motors,

a support member mounted on each of said power units and having a socketformed therein,

a longitudinally extending tubular member received in said socket ofeach of said support members,

locking means locking said tubular members in their respective sockets,

a screed of fixed length extending transversely between said powerunits,

a pair of vertically extending telescopically adjustable support meanssituated at opposite ends of said screed for supporting and forproviding vertical adjustment of said screed,

each of said support means comprising, a vertical tubular sleeve carriedby its respective tubular member,

a shaft telescopically received within said sleeve,

and a stop carried on said shaft for limiting the lowermost position ofsaid shaft, and a pair of guide track means associated, respectively,

with each of the power units and extending horizon- :tally andtransversely toward the other of said power units,

each of said track means interconnecting a corresponding support meansand a longitudinally extending tubular member to slidably support saidsupport means and said screed from said tubular member and to enablesaid power units to be widened while supporting said fixed-lengthscreed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATEIJTS McKelvey 9446Leatherman 9439 Krehblel 9445 Hohnke 9446 Clark 94--46 Calabrese 9446Andrus 9446 Freeman 9446 Konway 9445 Nave 9445 X Apel 9445 15 CHARLES E.OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner.

